There was silence for a moment after Gnosis finished speaking.
After several seconds, Perdes slowly repeated what he had heard.
“Does that mean... that he might have been of another race?”
“Well, I don’t dare to say anything about that.”
You've already mentioned almost everything, so why are you backing out now?
Perdes clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Anyway, if he was a non-human race, it would make sense that he would have reached the level of mastery in three different fields.
'What kind of race is it?'
Since they are said to have human appearances, it seems likely that they are elves, but it is difficult to be certain because elves are a species that almost went extinct due to human greed.
It was said that the few elves who survived through many twists and turns hid deep in the mountains and never showed themselves to humans.
If not an elf, then what race is he?
“What does he look like?”
Perdes asked Gnosis because he thought he could infer it by hearing its appearance, but Gnosis tilted his head slightly with a slightly troubled expression.
"What's the matter?"
“Actually... I don’t remember what he looked like.”
“Well, it’s been a long time, so it’s understandable to forget.”
He thought it was possible since it happened over 20 years ago. Gnosis shook his head, wondering if that was true.
“No, it’s not that. I couldn’t remember anything after we broke up. It was like my mind was covered in a thick fog.”
"...What?"
It wasn't just a passing relationship, but a benefactor who taught him many things, so it didn't make sense that he couldn't remember what the other person looked like right after they broke up.
Gnosis also said that his mind was clouded as if it was foggy, so Perdes decided that there was something and was about to ask again, but Gnosis spoke first.
“But I remember one thing for sure.”
“What is that?”
“Hair color.”
Gnosis's eyes sparkled as he stared into space as if trying to recall memories.
“I will never forget the color of his fiery red hair.”
Burning red hair.
As soon as Perdes heard that, he naturally thought of Adele's hair color.
Although the fiery red hair and vivid green eyes were characteristics passed down through generations to the Leopold family, they were not unique to them.
Other people could have just as much red hair and green eyes.
But the only people with blazing red hair were the blood relatives of the Duke of Leopold.
Perdes had never seen anyone with red hair like Adele.
But he was a little confused when Gnosis described the man as having blazing red hair.
'Could it be that the man Gnosis met was the former Duke Leopold?'
Thinking about it that way, he understood the description of Gnosis, but he didn't understand anything else.
First of all, Adele said that the former Duke Leopold was a knight who had no knowledge of magic and only knew the sword.
However, Gnosis said that the man was a great man who had reached the realm of not only magic but also shamanism, so it couldn't be the same person.
It also made no sense for the successor of Duke Leopold to go exploring in a dangerous place like the ruins of Ethymos.
There were many other parts that he didn't understand, and while the two were definitely not the same person, the description of the blazing red hair kept bothering him.
“Have you seen Duke Leopold?”
Gnosis shook his head.
“No, I have never met him before.”
“Her Excellency the Duke Leopold?”
“I’ve never met him either. He’s not someone a nobleman like me can easily meet.”
"Yes?"
Then he guess can check it out.
Perdes stood up and said.
“Come, I’ll introduce you to Duke Leopold.”
Although the officials who worked in 424, about 100 years ago, were no longer working, many of their descendants were working for the dukedom and duchy.
I went to the managers and asked them about this and that, hoping they might have heard something, but it was in vain.
They knew nothing more than I did.
Finally, I should just ask Harnes and leave it at that.
He's been working for the Duke's family since my grandfather's time, so he might know something.
“Should I ask Sarah too?”
Sarah has been working since my father's time, so she probably doesn't know much about it compared to Harnes, so I'll ask him first and then think about it.
I went straight to Harnes and asked him about this and that.
“I’m sorry, Miss.”
But Harnes didn't really know anything either.
Well, how would they know what happened before they were born?
“Phew.”
My head understood, but my heart did not, so I sighed deeply.
If Harness doesn't know about it, I don't need to ask Sarah or anyone else.
I was thinking about whether I should just consider it as a one-time incident and end it here, but then a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
“...Do you know anything about my father’s childhood?”
If, just maybe, the Red Dragon's Blessing was time-related and my father was still around 100 years ago, then Harnes and the others would not have seen my father's childhood.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know much about His Excellency the Duke’s childhood, Miss.”
I asked just in case, but my heart sank when I got the answer.
My hands were trembling at the thought that my hypothesis might be correct, but I tried to keep my expression calm.
“How come you don’t know? Harnes was with the Duke’s family back then too.”
“That is true, but at the time, His Excellency the Duke was staying at the Knight Academy dormitory and rarely came to the Duke’s residence.”
“If you say he almost didn’t come, that means he did come.”
“Yes. He came back about once a year, but he only stayed for a short time, and at that time, I was a trainee butler, so I didn’t have a chance to meet His Excellency the Duke.”
It was true that Harnes had no chance to see my father, as the trainee butlers did not come to the main building until their formal training was over.
But, as suspicion spread like a fire that engulfed a huge mountain, I couldn't shake the suspicion that my father had not appeared in front of Harnes on purpose.
“What about after my father graduated from the academy? By then, your training as a trainee butler would have been over, so you would have had a chance to see him.”
“After graduating from the academy, His Excellency the Duke stayed in the capital, then, following the long-standing tradition of the Duke’s family, he joined a mercenary group and traveled the continent.”
Oh, right.
It was customary for successors to serve in a mercenary unit for several years after graduating from the academy, to gain practical experience and see and experience the situation on the continent firsthand.
...I didn’t do it because I wasn’t the official successor acknowledged by my father.
The fact that came to mind anew struck my heart.
I know that my father was against it for unavoidable reasons, not because he hated me or anything like that, but that in itself was already a huge wound to me.
“Then it must have been a long time since Harnes saw my father.”
“Yes. I first met His Excellency about seven years after I entered the Leopold household.”
Harnes spoke slowly as if recalling an old memory buried deep in his mind.
“His Excellency the Duke had wanted to travel the continent a bit more, but his father, Damien, suddenly became ill and was admitted to the capital’s hospital for treatment and convalescence, so he had to return.”
I had heard that story before.
After four years of treatment and recovery, he eventually passed away and my father inherited the dukedom.
That means...
“Harnes has never seen my father and grandfather together.”
“No. No way... Hmm?”
Harnes blinked widely as if he had realized something too late.
“I see, from what you said, young lady. I’ve often seen him with your mother, Lady Elia, but I’ve never seen him with Lord Damien.”
"Yes?"
As I listened to Harnes' story, my suspicions grew and grew.
I wanted to ask other people, but Harnes was the only one who had been in the ducal household when my grandfather was alive, so I had no one else to ask.
'That's not the case with the Duke.'
Some nobles, including Count Martina, would have seen both my grandfather and father, so I can ask them about this part.
I decided to go up the central staircase to see Count Martina, who was nearby and saw Perdes coming down with a man with a lot of white hair.
Although it was the first time I saw the man, I could immediately tell that he was Perdes' magician master.
“We met at just the right time.”
Perdes, who had discovered me, came down quickly and introduced me to that person.
“This is my teacher, Gnosis.”
“Nice to meet you, Your Excellency the Duke. My name is Gnosis.”
"Nice to meet you."
I see he doesn't have a last name, so he must be a commoner.
Even commoners could become magicians or wizards if they had the skills, but they could not become teachers of nobles.
Besides, Perdes is a member of the royal family.
It was even more absurd for a commoner to become a teacher, but Perdes was satisfied with it and it meant that he had the skills, so he didn't get carried away with it.
My head was so full of other thoughts that I didn't have the energy to even think about it.
Then I was about to say that I would take my leave now and that we would continue our conversation later when Perdes nodded to my head and asked Gnosis:
“Was it the same color as this?”
What do you mean by the same color?
I was bewildered by the words I didn't understand, but Gnosis seemed to understand and looked at my head seriously before nodding.
“Yes. He also had blazing red hair, just like Your Excellency the Duke.”
After several seconds, Perdes slowly repeated what he had heard.
“Does that mean... that he might have been of another race?”
“Well, I don’t dare to say anything about that.”
You've already mentioned almost everything, so why are you backing out now?
Perdes clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Anyway, if he was a non-human race, it would make sense that he would have reached the level of mastery in three different fields.
'What kind of race is it?'
Since they are said to have human appearances, it seems likely that they are elves, but it is difficult to be certain because elves are a species that almost went extinct due to human greed.
It was said that the few elves who survived through many twists and turns hid deep in the mountains and never showed themselves to humans.
If not an elf, then what race is he?
“What does he look like?”
Perdes asked Gnosis because he thought he could infer it by hearing its appearance, but Gnosis tilted his head slightly with a slightly troubled expression.
"What's the matter?"
“Actually... I don’t remember what he looked like.”
“Well, it’s been a long time, so it’s understandable to forget.”
He thought it was possible since it happened over 20 years ago. Gnosis shook his head, wondering if that was true.
“No, it’s not that. I couldn’t remember anything after we broke up. It was like my mind was covered in a thick fog.”
"...What?"
It wasn't just a passing relationship, but a benefactor who taught him many things, so it didn't make sense that he couldn't remember what the other person looked like right after they broke up.
Gnosis also said that his mind was clouded as if it was foggy, so Perdes decided that there was something and was about to ask again, but Gnosis spoke first.
“But I remember one thing for sure.”
“What is that?”
“Hair color.”
Gnosis's eyes sparkled as he stared into space as if trying to recall memories.
“I will never forget the color of his fiery red hair.”
Burning red hair.
As soon as Perdes heard that, he naturally thought of Adele's hair color.
Although the fiery red hair and vivid green eyes were characteristics passed down through generations to the Leopold family, they were not unique to them.
Other people could have just as much red hair and green eyes.
But the only people with blazing red hair were the blood relatives of the Duke of Leopold.
Perdes had never seen anyone with red hair like Adele.
But he was a little confused when Gnosis described the man as having blazing red hair.
'Could it be that the man Gnosis met was the former Duke Leopold?'
Thinking about it that way, he understood the description of Gnosis, but he didn't understand anything else.
First of all, Adele said that the former Duke Leopold was a knight who had no knowledge of magic and only knew the sword.
However, Gnosis said that the man was a great man who had reached the realm of not only magic but also shamanism, so it couldn't be the same person.
It also made no sense for the successor of Duke Leopold to go exploring in a dangerous place like the ruins of Ethymos.
There were many other parts that he didn't understand, and while the two were definitely not the same person, the description of the blazing red hair kept bothering him.
“Have you seen Duke Leopold?”
Gnosis shook his head.
“No, I have never met him before.”
“Her Excellency the Duke Leopold?”
“I’ve never met him either. He’s not someone a nobleman like me can easily meet.”
"Yes?"
Then he guess can check it out.
Perdes stood up and said.
“Come, I’ll introduce you to Duke Leopold.”
***
Although the officials who worked in 424, about 100 years ago, were no longer working, many of their descendants were working for the dukedom and duchy.
I went to the managers and asked them about this and that, hoping they might have heard something, but it was in vain.
They knew nothing more than I did.
Finally, I should just ask Harnes and leave it at that.
He's been working for the Duke's family since my grandfather's time, so he might know something.
“Should I ask Sarah too?”
Sarah has been working since my father's time, so she probably doesn't know much about it compared to Harnes, so I'll ask him first and then think about it.
I went straight to Harnes and asked him about this and that.
“I’m sorry, Miss.”
But Harnes didn't really know anything either.
Well, how would they know what happened before they were born?
“Phew.”
My head understood, but my heart did not, so I sighed deeply.
If Harness doesn't know about it, I don't need to ask Sarah or anyone else.
I was thinking about whether I should just consider it as a one-time incident and end it here, but then a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
“...Do you know anything about my father’s childhood?”
If, just maybe, the Red Dragon's Blessing was time-related and my father was still around 100 years ago, then Harnes and the others would not have seen my father's childhood.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know much about His Excellency the Duke’s childhood, Miss.”
I asked just in case, but my heart sank when I got the answer.
My hands were trembling at the thought that my hypothesis might be correct, but I tried to keep my expression calm.
“How come you don’t know? Harnes was with the Duke’s family back then too.”
“That is true, but at the time, His Excellency the Duke was staying at the Knight Academy dormitory and rarely came to the Duke’s residence.”
“If you say he almost didn’t come, that means he did come.”
“Yes. He came back about once a year, but he only stayed for a short time, and at that time, I was a trainee butler, so I didn’t have a chance to meet His Excellency the Duke.”
It was true that Harnes had no chance to see my father, as the trainee butlers did not come to the main building until their formal training was over.
But, as suspicion spread like a fire that engulfed a huge mountain, I couldn't shake the suspicion that my father had not appeared in front of Harnes on purpose.
“What about after my father graduated from the academy? By then, your training as a trainee butler would have been over, so you would have had a chance to see him.”
“After graduating from the academy, His Excellency the Duke stayed in the capital, then, following the long-standing tradition of the Duke’s family, he joined a mercenary group and traveled the continent.”
Oh, right.
It was customary for successors to serve in a mercenary unit for several years after graduating from the academy, to gain practical experience and see and experience the situation on the continent firsthand.
...I didn’t do it because I wasn’t the official successor acknowledged by my father.
The fact that came to mind anew struck my heart.
I know that my father was against it for unavoidable reasons, not because he hated me or anything like that, but that in itself was already a huge wound to me.
“Then it must have been a long time since Harnes saw my father.”
“Yes. I first met His Excellency about seven years after I entered the Leopold household.”
Harnes spoke slowly as if recalling an old memory buried deep in his mind.
“His Excellency the Duke had wanted to travel the continent a bit more, but his father, Damien, suddenly became ill and was admitted to the capital’s hospital for treatment and convalescence, so he had to return.”
I had heard that story before.
After four years of treatment and recovery, he eventually passed away and my father inherited the dukedom.
That means...
“Harnes has never seen my father and grandfather together.”
“No. No way... Hmm?”
Harnes blinked widely as if he had realized something too late.
“I see, from what you said, young lady. I’ve often seen him with your mother, Lady Elia, but I’ve never seen him with Lord Damien.”
"Yes?"
As I listened to Harnes' story, my suspicions grew and grew.
I wanted to ask other people, but Harnes was the only one who had been in the ducal household when my grandfather was alive, so I had no one else to ask.
'That's not the case with the Duke.'
Some nobles, including Count Martina, would have seen both my grandfather and father, so I can ask them about this part.
I decided to go up the central staircase to see Count Martina, who was nearby and saw Perdes coming down with a man with a lot of white hair.
Although it was the first time I saw the man, I could immediately tell that he was Perdes' magician master.
“We met at just the right time.”
Perdes, who had discovered me, came down quickly and introduced me to that person.
“This is my teacher, Gnosis.”
“Nice to meet you, Your Excellency the Duke. My name is Gnosis.”
"Nice to meet you."
I see he doesn't have a last name, so he must be a commoner.
Even commoners could become magicians or wizards if they had the skills, but they could not become teachers of nobles.
Besides, Perdes is a member of the royal family.
It was even more absurd for a commoner to become a teacher, but Perdes was satisfied with it and it meant that he had the skills, so he didn't get carried away with it.
My head was so full of other thoughts that I didn't have the energy to even think about it.
Then I was about to say that I would take my leave now and that we would continue our conversation later when Perdes nodded to my head and asked Gnosis:
“Was it the same color as this?”
What do you mean by the same color?
I was bewildered by the words I didn't understand, but Gnosis seemed to understand and looked at my head seriously before nodding.
“Yes. He also had blazing red hair, just like Your Excellency the Duke.”
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